Fylde fracking nana prepares for prison sentence

A Fylde anti-fracking protestor has said she is prepared to go to jail after being served with a summons outside Buckingham Palace.

Tina Rothery, from the Lancashire Nanas protest group, was taking part in an event in London to ask the Queen, herself a grandmother, to support their fight against fracking in Lancashire.

But minutes after the 17 nanas and friends arrived, bailiffs turned up with the court order.

Ms Rothery had appeared at county court in Blackpool in June and was ordered to pay landowners backed by gas exploration company Cuadrilla £50,000 after a protest camp on fields off Preston New Road, Little Plumpton in August 2014. But she refused saying the protest against fracking, which opponents say will damage the environment, was too important and it was a case of institutional bullying.

She said: “I am due in court on October 19th and I have been told I will be going to Styal prison for contempt of court. They served the papers on me in London when they could have done it at my home any time over the past weeks.

“We had hardly been there a few minutes when some burly bailiffs turned up. I think they just wanted to show all the other protesters what could happen to them if they continue. It was high profile.

“London was great. We had 17 nanas camped outside Buckingham Palace having a tea party in a peaceful protest for two days. Although we not allowed to display our banners, the police were great with us and we had umbrellas with our messages on.”

The Government’s Secretary of State for Communities Sajid Javid was due to rule on Cuadrilla’s appeal to test frack at two sites on the Fylde in the next few days. A date of October 6 had been set but it has not been confirmed when the announcement will be made.